The River Engineering Branch of the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory conducted a two-dimensional numerical model investigation of the Ohio River immediately downstream of McAlpine Lock and Dam. The right bank between river mile 605.5 and 606.5 (opposite the dam's downstream set of tainter gates) has historically experienced stability issues. Conditions on the bank, when observed through aerial imagery, appear most severe when the dam is releasing all or most flow through the downstream (lower)

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... set of tainter gates. Releasing all flow through the downstream gates occurs only at lower flow rates, but this study determined that standard high-flow conditions create higher velocities in the problem area than these observed low-flow conditions. The representative high-flow event was then used to test the capability of structural alternatives to reduce velocities in the area of concern. Plans consisting of small emergent dikes placed along the shoreline were able to reduce the velocities significantly and could be a feasible alternative to help protect the bankline.